Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh): This Raksha Bandhan, rakhis made by sisters will not only adorn the wrists of their brothers but, also mother Earth. With assistance of the Chhindwara district forest department, "bamboo rakhis" embedded with seeds of indigenous trees are being prepared so that after wearing the rakhi, the seeds can be sown into the soil thereby benefitting the environment.
The initiative has been taken by the forest department under the Madhya Pradesh State Bamboo Mission, to make women self-reliant as well as protect the environment through tree plantation.
Forest ranger Pankaj Sharma said that the initiative is aimed at protecting the environment through the festival of Rakhi. Instead of throwing away the rakhis after the festival, these have to be just sown in the ground, he said. The seeds of various plants namely Karanj, Kachnar, Bamboo, Nilgiri and Gulmohar have been used to embed on the rakhis, Sharma said.
"If after tying a rakhi, a plant grows from its seeds then it will be a bigger gift on Raksha Bandhan. These trees in turn will contribute to the environment by providing oxygen and improve air quality, conserve water, preserve soil as well as support the wildlife," Sharma said.
The women are themselves preparing the rakhis with bamboo and these hand-made rakhis are much more beautiful than the machine-made ones," Sharma added.
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Apart from rakhi, bamboo is being used to make jewellery and various items of home decor. The forest department has set up a target to prepare around 5000 rakhis. These rakhis will be displayed for sale at the forest department's office next to the district court. The per piece cost of the rakhis is Rs 40.
